Espionage
by Avery Collins
Summary: *Not about Vampires-I had nowhere else to put it* "Y-you're Juliana Ford?" he stammered with a mask of shock and hatred. "You're Spencer Grayson?" I asked. We had both lied. He knew me as Cameron and I knew him as Spencer Stevens. But in the light of truth, we were the heirs to enemy corporations, both spies in corporate espionage. Nothing we knew about each other was true...
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue- Sealed fates **

"_Thank you son, I knew I could count on you. God be with you". _

That was it.

My fate was sealed.

Just like that, I was being shipped out to another company. I had leave behind everything I knew and had grown to love to go to a company that I detested just because I was trying to be a good son.

People said I was diligent, sweet, mild and sensible. Obedient, even.

But this wasn't called obedience; this was called being a wimp.

Just because my father wanted me to do this thing for him, I dropped everything I had just so he would like me more.

My father, Connor Grayson, the founder of Grayson International, wanted me to 'help out' with the family business. By that he meant planting me as a corporate spy in one of the joint ventures we were having.

It always sucked for me, being the younger son, the runt, the disappointment. All through my childhood, I ended up being second choice to my father, my big brother Darren being preferred over me.

I was deep, wounded or dark, sensitive and I had strong values about trust, truth and love. I let my emotions cloud over my logic.

Definitely not business material.

Call me disadvantaged or inexperienced, I have never had my father come up to me and ask for a favor. Never.

I knew he was let down when I chose to major in arts in college and then go into interior designing. But when he started his interior designing firm of Grayson International, I thought maybe he did it for me.

But no. Not my father.

He did it only because the Company had ventures and establishments in almost every other sector of the world. Why come short on anything?

But that venture was my life line. Because I became very good at what I loved doing and it soon became my pride and joy to run the firm.

And of course, father and Darren simply had to be kill-joys and decided that I would be perfect for a large scale corporate espionage.

So here I was, unable to stand up for what I really wanted, and allowed my father to make the decision for me.

I doubt if my father ever wanted this for me. It would be hard to imagine a parent saying, 'My son will be a corporate spy, one day'. And yet, my father never seemed more proud of me than right now. When I was finally doing something he wanted me to do. Maybe that's why I was okay with going the distance for him. Because I could finally prove my worth to him?

However unlikely that seemed, it was the truth that every Grayson had to prove himself. Darren had passed the test with flying colors, even without trying. Sense the sarcasm.

We were in a heated corporate war against Ford Industries, another MNC just like us. Ford Industries were on par with Grayson International in every possible way and the competition was just cut-throat.

It almost seemed as if this corporate war would result in a total reconstruction of the world's economy. That was how gigantic these two super power corporations were. World War III was finally here.

Due to an inconvenient, unplanned circumstance, the two companies were forced to sign a merger contract. At least one or two of their sectors had to be merged into a single company.

And my father, being the shrewd businessman that he is, decided to nominate the interior designing firm for the merger.

'Something that won't deeply affect the growth of Grayson International' he assured me.

But I felt crestfallen; how could he just…sell MY firm like that? Like it didn't matter to him! I was nothing but a business strategy to him.

My father went on to assign me to work in the company under an alias. In a much lower post than I deserved. He wasn't supposed to have his son working in a merged firm but he needed to make sure that Ford Industries weren't trying to buy out the firm. He also needed me to ensure that they didn't buy the 51% shares so they would be the majority share holders and dominate their will on the firm.

I knew my over-competitive father would never admit it, but I knew that Ford Industries were making him nervous and he needed me. Maybe Darren couldn't do it because he was much more famous that I was.

Whatever it was, for the first time in 22 years, I felt like my father depended on me. And that, was a feeling that I would do anything to retain. Anything. Even if it was illegal.

Even if it meant giving up someone who would come to matter more to me than the rest of the world combined.

Because I knew that I was a good son.

Yours truly

Spencer Grayson

My life has always been about whether I could attend the Paris Fashion Week, if Jimmy Choo and Versace would fill my wardrobe or if I would go to the Hamptons in the summer weekends.

I was tired of people looking at me like I was rich and spoilt. Oh don't get me wrong, I am rich. But I am certainly not spoilt.

My father, Michael Ford, made sure that my big sister Dana and I worked for whatever we got to enjoy. He made sure we had all the necessary comforts without taking advantage of them. Dad started Ford Industries from scratch and built it from ground up with his father.

Dana and I were raised in a very close-knit, loving and open family atmosphere and we planned on keeping it that way. I knew for a fact that Dana was frustrated by the fact that she was also seen as incompetent because she was wealthy. But everything changed after Dana became a designer, very upscale and adventurous. I enjoyed modeling for her from time to time but I was getting annoyed by the fact that people never took me seriously.

Well, we used to get along so well…..

Until one day, when I kinda became friends with her fiancé. And he turned out to be this creep who fell in love with me and refused to dump my sister. He wanted to play the both of us and weaved out a nice story at my expense to my sister, when I threatened to tell on him.

Dana, for some reason, believed him and went on to just shut me out of her life for good. That was 1 year ago and Dana still never got over the fact that her fiancé cheated on her with me and I didn't tell her about it.

She dumped him, of course. But she never forgave me. My father told me that he believed me when I tried to explain. But even to this day, I've had my doubts on whether he really does.

I tried valiantly to be a part of Dana's life; just as hard as she tried to keep me out of it. Dana fell hard for that guy and I knew that it stung to even look at me. All I represented in her life was the one thing she couldn't have. True love.

Now, she was one of the most celebrated designers I knew. I keep thinking that that was what I had to do to be treated as, well….normal.

My father earned his own bread with his own blood, sweat and tears and simply expected us to do the same. Or in the very least, not take the wealth for granted.

He didn't marry rich either. My mother was his high school classmate, a background like his own. My parents were both fully of values and morals that they made sure Dana and I had before we made our own decisions.

They thought I was just some snooty, arrogant rich girl. But I wasn't. I had the fire, the drive to prove myself from very early on and now, I finally had a way to do it.

The Ford Industries' interior designing firm.

I worked in it and made the best in the business. Well that was until the merger. I had to sign the company over to a joint venture between Ford Industries and Grayson International. My father was very apologetic because there had been no choice. The situation was unavoidable and this was the best outcome from it. But I guess I was okay with it.

One thing I wasn't okay with was me not being allowed to work in the firm any longer. It was against the rules or something.

Urgh! That was just so infuriating!

My father didn't want me working in that firm for some strange reason and I knew that I just HAD to. I said my father was all for hard work, but he was against me being on a mission. Plus, he had Dana egging him on to kick me out of the firm. I think my mother never forgave me either. Well, not that I doubted it, Dana was always her favorite.

I only hoped that my father and Dana could keep it professional, in terms of me working at the new firm.

Grayson International was gaining on us and we just had to be better than them at this. We had to buy up that extra 1% share so we could impose our views on the firm. I had to make that happen.

Maybe then, I could finally shed the whole 'you're-a-dainty-rich-brat' look that I got from everyone I met. Maybe then, I could earn some more respect. But right now, I was sick of being misjudged. By my mother, my father, by Dana and the people around me.

I would change how they all looked at me. I would change whatever bad they could have ever thought of me.

Yours truly

Juliana Ford


	2. Romeo? Where art thou?

**Here it is! Chapter One of my newest. I hope you like reading it as much as I loved writing it. **

**Chapter-1 "Romeo? Where art thou?" **

**Juliana's point of view**

"Please, Denise, you **HAVE** to let me stay" I wailed, earning some annoyed glares from the other employees. Denise Carlton only shook her head and continued to walk up the hallway, armfuls of papers and designing books.

I made a face as the hallways were filled with clipty-clop of office heels. I had never liked office heels; they weren't nearly as high and treacherous as I liked them to be. I was certainly never going to wear them while I was here.

IF Denise dearest let me stay, that is.

"Denise" I began but she cut me off, her tone brisk and official. I didn't like that tone she used on me.

"Juliana, there really is nothing that I can do. It's absolutely against the rules of the new contract. It clearly states that neither you nor Mr. Grayson's sons can work in this firm. And what would your father say…." Denise said but I broke in.

"My father never has to find out. Please Denise I need this job" I begged the older woman. Denise looked down at me, suddenly her age of sixty-odd years very apparent on her face. Wispy white hair and twinkling blue eyes, Denise was no less than a mom to me.

"Yes, I heard from the grapevine that you left home?" Denise scrutinized me critically behind those rimless glasses. We reached her desk where she sat down and I leaned against the wall, by the table.

"I didn't leave home" I contradicted but quieted at once when I saw her death glare. "I moved out temporarily" I murmured.

"And why would you even have reason to do something like that, Juliana?" Denise demanded, preoccupied by the papers on her desk.

"You KNOW why, Denise" I insisted, looking away. I heard the woman sigh.

She knew how Dana and my mother treated me for the past year. She knew what I had to go through. I think she even understood why I simply had to do this job.

She had practically raised me. Denise was my father's receptionist and had shifted her work from my father's HQ to the interior designing firm. The firm had been merged with another company's firm and nothing felt the same anymore.

For one thing, the décor had been updated. Other thing was that an equal number of employees had been imported from the Grayson firm as there were from the Ford firm.

'To balance it out' as Denise had said.

"Okay, but I know nothing of this" Denise finally complied and I solemnly nodded before rushing out joyfully.

'YES! I finally got a chance to prove myself!' I cheered and got into my Black Mercedes in the basement. If I was working in this firm, I had to become someone else.

I just had to get those corporate secrets for my father. I wouldn't rest until I had found them and clinched them. The firm was a joint venture of 3 parties actually; Ford Industries, Grayson International and the Prestige Group. We and Graysons owned 40% shares each so the other party was often neglected. My plan was to first buy out the 20% of the Prestige Group and then when we were the 60% majority company, handle the Graysons. I was confident in my abilities to do it.

I went a few blocks down, into lower Manhattan where I stopped at my favorite store.

Jimmy Choo.

If I had to blend in by wearing those ugly office heels, I might as well do it with style. I took my time, carefully choosing my Jimmy Choos in bold black. My next stop was at Gorgio Armani.

I simply had to buy a suit. And no Reid and Taylor or Raymond was enough for me. After my mini shopping spree and a coffee break at Starbucks, it was time to get back to the firm.

The new bosses and employees would be there and I had to figure out how to get them to let me stay on in the firm.

Of course, having the perfect skinny frame, brightest blue eyes, impeccable blonde hair and a million dollar smile always helped with my people-skills and came in handy while convincing anyone of anything.

I actually had an immutable law of the universe; nothing, and I mean, **nothing** can get past Juliana Ford's puppy-dog face without melting into a puddle of warm mush. (You had better note this down, it might come in handy).

So all I had to do was to look straight into the boss's eyes and tell him that I needed the job. Throw in a few heart felt tears if necessary. Then howdy, Ford-Grayson firm.

As soon as I entered the office building, I went into the office library to pick up a schedule. I knew that there was a box of programs in the library that listed all the meetings and things that were happening today. After all the legalities were completed, the staff would know who stood where on the totem pole of the firm and what their contracts were.

I found the schedules and scanned the page. There was a huge presentation in about half an hour, open to any aspiring interior decorator. It said that they could showcase a few themes that would be run past the board which would help them decide what post the candidate would be placed at in the firm.

Great!

I had great ideas and designs. All I needed were some techy-terms that would raise the bar a little. Maybe I should get a book on interior designing and presentations in the library.

That seemed like the perfect idea; to prepare for an impromptu presentation. So I began to search the vast oceans of shelves of the library for that one book I had read a few months ago. I knew it would be the best bet for the occasion.

After what seemed like an eternity, I located the book and pulled it out eagerly. Going through the concerned parts thoroughly, I felt ready for the presentation. I leaned against the shelves, confidence rushing through me.

I have always been an extrovert and public speaking was a pleasure to me. My overly-cheerful nature, stubborn beliefs and slight cynicism made me lovable and popular in high school.

But I had never lied or cheated. Those were the things I just couldn't stand. I had the faithfulness and loyalty of a cocker spaniel. At least my attention span was no longer than a spaniel's.

With my looks, money and personality, you'd think boys would be attracted to me like moths to a flame. But sadly, that was not the case. With my modeling and talent (cough, cough; those are not my words), I thought I'd have more romantic history than I do. What can I say, boys want a girl to like them and fawn over them. But I can never bite down my ego enough to do that.

Oh did I forget to mention that? My ego is the size of Mt. Everest. I can never take an insult or jibe, sitting down. I always rise up to a challenge.

This was why Juliana was on a mission; to get daddy's praise and Dana's forgiveness. I was completely focused on issue at hand, to rock the seminar today that I forgot one tiny little thing.

To notice a library ladder ram into me from the left.

At first, all I could feel was the blinding, nerve shattering pain that tore through my skull. Then the deadening feeling I got when the cold floor touched my cheek. The faint voices in the background.

The one overwhelming sense that I got was hearing a chuckle. It wasn't like any other ordinary chuckle I had heard before. This one was…amused.

Amused that I was lying on the ground like that!

"Are you okay?" my eyes regained sight and I took in what was before me. A young man, of about 22, my age, was leaning over me. He was trying to look concerned but I could that it took all his will not to burst in hysterical laughter right then and there.

I scowled furiously. How could he laugh at me? When I was lying on the ground helplessly. As if reading my thoughts, he held out his hand and pulled me up to my feet and stepped back, still smiling.

"Ow!" I groaned, rubbing my throbbing skull.

I heard a small, muffled cackle and I glared at him at once.

"Don't you know it's rude to laugh at someone who's hurt?" I demanded.

"I am so s-sorry" he managed to look solemn. But the giggles could not be contained. He exploded again and he held his stomach as if his sides were splitting.

I stood, glowering with my arms crossed. I used that to time to inspect the man in front of me. My breath caught as I took in his lithe, chiseled physique, muscular and yet very lean, light brown hair that looked exoctically soft to touch.

An attractive velvety voice that could be akin to that of an angel's; a glowing tan; angular and devastatingly inhuman facial features set in with marble and that smile. That smile could melt diamonds in a matter of seconds. His eyes were a hypnotic blue-grey that made you want to swoon.

I blushed, realizing that I was looking at him a lot longer than necessary and dropped my eyes to the floor.

An uncontrollable urge to laugh made its way onto my lips that stretched into an involuntary smile.

"See? Now there's a good sport" he grinned, seeing my face.

"Good sport? You could have killed me with that ladder!" I shouted. "I could have a concussion!" I yelled in exasperation.

"But you don't" he said in a sing-song voice that infuriated me.

We stood for a long time, just glaring at each other when finally I realized that I had a meeting to get to. I scooped up my book from the floor and hurried to the door.

"Hey, lady!" I heard him call out behind me. I turned to see him picking up his book off the floor too. What I didn't see was the closed door in front of me and I nearly rammed into it too.

"Watch where you're going" he said, laughing and turning away.

I yanked the door open in a huff and fled the room. I had to get that insolent, arrogant, gorgeous, chauvinist jerk out of my mind and focus on my seminar. I made my way into the conference room which had about 15 people in it. Judging from their attire, only a few were here to actually give the interview.

"Sorry I'm late" I practically ran to my seat and sat down with a plop. I earned some surprised and horrified glances from the former employees of the firm but thankfully, no one said a word.

"You are…" the boss asked me.

"Oh, I'm…Cameron. Cameron Santiago" I told him hesitantly.

Cameron was my middle name. So technically I wasn't completely lying. Was I?

"Okay. Do you want to present your ideas?" he asked me. I nodded. He wrote my name down and motioned to the front of the conference table.

I stood excitedly in front of the projector screen, mentally doing a happy dance.

"I'm Cameron Santiago and I want to show you my vision as an interior designer" I began confidently. "To begin with, I have this quote by my role model designer" I opened the book in my hands and opened Page 64, the one I had marked. I cleared my throat and began reading loudly.

"**Romeo, Romeo! Where art thou, Romeo?!" **I said clearly and froze. A feeling of dread crept over me. This wasn't…..not…..

I fingered over the title that read- 'ROMEO AND JULIET'.

Suddenly the door flew open and a young man came in.

"Hey I'm here! Sorry I'm late!".

At that, the whole audience burst into laughter and the young man looked at me in confusion. I saw his eyes widen as he recognized me.

The boy from the library.

The audience seemed to find this incident, this uncanny coincidence hilarious and began to hoot and whistle at 'Romeo'. 'Romeo' looked slowly from my petrified expression to the book I held open in my hands and shock registered in his crystal eyes.

He glanced sharply at the book in his hands- 'ARCHITECTURE AND DÉCOR', holding it up for me to see.

I knew I had grabbed the wrong book off the library floor so it was my fault but this was beyond humiliating. It was like time was frozen at that moment, with strident laughter swirling all around me, echoing in the room.

No one cared about Cameron's vision anymore. It was all about 'Romeo and Juliet' now. I held my breath, hoping for the moment to pass but it seemed to stretch out forever. These people were laughing at me!

I was a joke, a freak.

I had had enough. Grabbing the offensive book, I ran out the door, brushing past 'Romeo'. I could hear my pulse hammering in my ears, my heels clip-clopping on the marble floor, my breath coming out in ragged pants.

The tears of anger and disappointment prickled at the back of my eyelids, but I fought desperately to keep them at bay. I found an empty conference room at the end of the hallway and ran in.

The tears wouldn't be held back any longer. I came here to win my father's trust, make him proud. I came here to establish my name in the corporate world. I had meant to finally come out hiding in the closet and made a big splash. But wow!

Look what I had done!

I hadn't gracefully stepped out of the closet, with my new caterpillar-to-butterfly transformation; I had fallen out. On my face.

And I had never had anyone laugh at me like that before. So it stung. A lot. Maybe my father was too protective. If I hadn't experienced this, then surely I had missed out on a lot.

"Hey are you okay?" a head popped in through the door. I looked up and saw 'Romeo' peeing inside with a wary smile on his handsome face.

"No. Go away" I mumbled and buried my face into my hands.

"Look, these things happen. You just have to get over them and fight" he laughed lightly and I glared at him coldly.

"All those people were laughing at me! They were making fun of me!" I cried, trying not to sound like a 5 year old.

He studied me, bemused.

"I don't see what the problem is. People make fun of you. No big deal" he shrugged.

"No one has ever made fun of me before" I said, feeling embarrassed.

"What?! No one?!" he looked incredulous. I shook my head.

"Haven't you been to a place called 'high school'?" he asked me, kneeling down before me.

"Yeah. But in private school, I was always queen been and no one bothered me" and then I stopped myself as his eyes widened. I was acting like a rich brat.

'He must think I am a total snob' I thought helplessly.

"If you went to private school, why are you working here?" he asked me, his glorious eyes alight with curiosity.

"It's…complicated" I sighed and stood up.

He followed suit, smiling.

"Define 'complicated'" he prompted. I just shook my head.

"Oh well, we better get back" and he opened the door. I was relieved that he decided to let it go.

"Oh and by the way, I'm Cameron Santiago" I offered my hand.

"Oh I'm Spencer" and then he stopped suddenly, looking as if he had done something wrong.

"Steve!" he blurted, before I could fully react.

"Spencer or Steve…?" I pressed, surprised by his guarded expression. He seemed to be nervous.

"S-Spencer S-Stevenson" he murmured, looking like he regretted it. "Well, nice to meet you. Gotta go, I'll catch you later" Spencer told me and hurried off, like he couldn't get away fast enough.

'Hmmm, strange' I thought.

Very strange.

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	3. Spencer, the friend

**Chapter 2- Spencer, the friend**

**Spencer's point of view**

"So you think we need to mix cultures and shades to create this eye catching piece?" Mr. Eldridge asked me, scrutinizing my papers.

"Yeah I would do that. The shades need to overlap in order to mix cultural styles in the décor of one room" I said confidently. I didn't need to fake anything; this was my real job after all. Something I was really good at, might I add.

"Wow! This kid's got it at such a young age. I took a few years to master this technique. How old are you, kid?" Mr. Ross asked me. I hid a smug grin; I could tell they were impressed.

"I'm 22" I said innocently.

"22? You got out of college last year?" Mr. Eldridge spat.

"Uh-huh. It's been a good year" I smiled.

"This kid is the best of the best, Ross!" he exclaimed, slamming down my papers. I took that as a confirmation for a job here.

"Sir, I also had a few ideas about something else. How are we doing the décor of the office and the rest of the firm?" I asked hopefully.

"That's something we need to discuss, Stevenson. It has to be top notch work because we _are_ an interior designing firm and our clients look at our office before deciding if we're worth their investment" Mr. Ross explained.

I nodded in agreement, "We need to do it before Saturday. And hire all our employees to the post that they deserve" I suggested, "I have an idea how we can do both before the week's end".

"We're listening" Mr. Eldridge leaned forward curiously.

"Okay, listen up everybody. Spencer Stevenson has something to say" Mr. Ross handed me the mike and motioned for me to continue.

"Hello everyone. I'm Spencer Stevenson, your co-worker. As you already know, we have a lot to do over just 5 days. Like decorate the firm and assign everyone their jobs and stuff. So we're gonna do both things at once. It's going to be a contest" I paused to gauge the reaction.

I was shocked; everyone was excited and eager. But more than that, they were competitive. I didn't expect that! It was just supposed to be a friendly competition but now, I was thinking it was going to get a lot more serious than that.

"Excluding the Board members, who will be the judges of this contest, all employees are to participate. They will each be given a room or a part of a hallway to decorate. Based on your skills you will be assigned your posts or fired. You will all use the same amount of money to purchase materials from the company warehouse's inventory and the same amount of time to do it. No extras allowed. If you are caught cheating you will be fired immediately. You have from the time you get your slots to the end of Saturday night to finish" I paused again. I noticed Cameron Santiago's eyes were fixed on me, intently taking in every detail of what I was saying. Her pretty blue eyes looked menacingly dark and ready to pounce. So competitive. So fierce.

"You will collect your randomly assigned slots from me. And for the next 5 days, this will be what you need to do at work. You cannot work longer than working hours of the firm each day" I finished, "Let the games begin".

A crowd formed in front of the dais, impatient participants eager for their slots. I slowly began calling out the names and handing the cards to them. The crowd cleared and the last card was 'Cameron Santiago'.

I saw her warily approach me and take her card. I took my own card and followed her to the upper floor. I was assigned room 112.

Both of us got on the elevator together.

"What the hell is this?" I Cameron snapped. I saw how hard she was crushing the card in her fist.

"Read it instead of crumpling it. I think it's pretty self-explanatory" I smirked.

Her eyes were dark like a storm cloud. "I read it. I am asking you why you did this to all of us" she clearly spelled out.

"Hey, I am here to get work done and make the office pretty. It's like killing 2 birds with one stone, you know" I explained, laughing at her scowl.

"Look here, Spencer Stevenson, I don't know what your agenda is, but none of us like it" I almost flinched when she called me 'Spencer Stevenson'.

How could I tell her that I was 'Spencer Grayson'? That I was cheating her and the entire company just by being here? I knew she would lose everything once the Graysons took over the company. I didn't want all my co-workers to go through that. Maybe I could talk my father into retaining them as employees.

"Look, Ms. Santiago, it's an office rule now. It's what you have to do if you need a job here. And my 'agenda' as you called it was sane enough to be run by the Board and they loved the idea so there you go" I said proudly. The elevator stopped.

"Fine, but watch out. You're up against ME" she huffed and walked away. I followed; I guess we were on the same floor.

I reached my room 112 and looked around at my neighbors. To my left I saw room 113 with Cameron Santiago.

All the rooms here had only one opaque wall at the back. The walls between rooms and the doors were all clear glass. So it was practically like Cameron and I were working on the same room. We'd be together for the next 5 days.

"Watch out for me" Cameron mouthed through the glass.

"You betcha" I mouthed back and we both laughed. I surveyed the room, groaning internally. It was absolutely bare. The floor was classy wood and the rest of the room was just white. The window had dull and boring bars across it, making the room rather dim. I looked through the bars and saw a breathtaking view of Manhattan.

It was like inspiration had struck me and I began to sketch the room eagerly. Once I had put my idea down on paper, I began to estimate the cost of all my inputs. We were allowed a certain amount of money for raw materials and some for services. Like in case we wanted to redo the structure of the room slightly or have paint work done. I, for one was not going to waste valuable resource money on hiring painters when I could do it myself perfectly.

"Stevenson, Ms. Santiago may I have a word with you both?" Mr. Ross beckoned both of us into the hallway.

"Due to a shortage in rooms and supplies and also some budget cuts, we need designers to work in pairs. Which mean, you two are going to work together" Mr. Eldridge put in, looking preoccupied with something.

"Okay sir. Is there a problem?" I shot a warning glance at Cameron, who looked like she was about to protest.

"Well, I am all for your idea, Stevenson. But once, it's done, we're going to have to clean it up, aren't we?" Mr. Ross looked tired at the idea of cleaning up the entire building.

"No problem, sir. We can have them replicate the winning designs or something all over" Cameron suggested.

"We just might take you up on that, Ms. Santiago" Mr. Ross smiled and they left us to it.

"Well, let's go" I strolled into my room. I looked back and saw that she wasn't following. "What?" I asked.

"No, we're working in my room" she said.

"No we're working in mine" I snapped.

"Mine"

"Mine"

"Mine"

"Mine!" we were up in each other's faces, scowling.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt, but we're taking room 112" a girl spoke from behind me, "You're gonna have to work in room 113" she said. I knew for a fact, that room 113 was identical to room 112 to it wasn't going to be a problem. But it meant that Cameron had won and that was extremely annoying.

I glanced back at Cameron who had already gone into room 113 and was laughing at me. I sighed and followed her. This was going to be a long week.

**Juliana's point of view**

"Well, how do you say we incorporate our designs together?" I asked, as we sat on the floor of room 113. Our sketch books, pens, iPads and cell phones were strewn across the floor.

"Well, thinking on the basic levels, my designs are a little more…..how do you say it…._GOTH_" I put in, looking at him, fully absorbed in his iPad. "I have more blacks, plums and purples than anyone else does. I also have more heavy carpets, wooden shelves on walls and ancient relics as show pieces" I went on.

"While your designs have…." And then I stopped angrily. "Are you even paying attention to me!?" I demanded.

"Sure I am. I can do two things at once" Spencer didn't even look up at me, his smart glasses reflecting what he was doing on his iPad. Her sketching something and putting on colors and designs on it.

I was a little surprised when he put on his spectacles. Honestly, he looked amazing in them. They looked smart, stylish, more like an accessory. They gave him a more refined and formal look. But they also made him look too snobby and Harvard-MBA-_ish_.

"Hello! Earth to Spencer" I cooed in his ear loudly making him wince and shove me back. His glasses fell down and he didn't bother picking them up. Spencer just went back to his iPad

"You don't need glasses to read?" I asked him.

"No, I only wear them as a preventive measure. It helps" Spencer answered. And then he looked up at me, "Plus, they look hot on me, don't they?" a cheeky little smile lit up his face as I rolled my eyes.

"Keep thinking that, buddy-boy" I muttered and picked up his glasses. I pushed them onto his face and peeped into his iPad, finally deciding to involve in something.

"Okay, so I was trying to put all your negativity into our combined designs and I was pleasantly surprised at how well our designs work together" Spencer told me.

"My negativity? You're referring to the Goth element in my work?" I asked.

"Yep" he held up his iPad to see two sketches of the room, one filled in with all my ideas and one filled in with his. I had to say, I like his much more. They were also based on a slightly more historic look, with relics and stone showpieces. But no blacks or purples. He had shiny grey and deep vibrant greens. The furniture was also a bit different. I used rose wood and mahogany while he went with the black wood and teak combination.

My lighting choices were rather loud and funky; tube glass chandeliers and bar counter tables. His were more of 5-star hotel table cloths and scented candle lights.

"Okay how are these going to work together? They're like opposites" I stated the obvious.

"I'll give you permission to pick one element from your design that you love. Just one" Spencer picked up my iPad and handed it to me.

"It would have to be the lights" I said confidently. "What would you choose?" I asked.

"I would choose the detailing" he told me. "Okay the rest of the things, we come to a mutual understanding, okay?". I nodded. His phone beeped and he looked at it and a smile lit up his face.

"Great news, Cameron! They decided that the rooms on this floor are way too small and similar so they want us to convert two rooms into one before decorating!" I was jumping with him!

"That means we're going to have a huge room to decorate!" I squealed, happy that someone was as excited about interior designing as I was.

"Hello, welcome to the inventory of Ford-Grayson" the receptionist smiled up from her desk. She gave us two coins, plastic ones.

"You deposit your cash and phones in the next room before going inside to purchase" she told us. "You will have only one hour to finish shopping and only the specified amount of money".

Spencer and I proceeded into the next room where we put all our carry on belongings into a locker. We took the money from her and went into the storage room.

"I say we buy the absolutely essential today and come back in a few days to finish up" Spencer suggested as we slid our coins into the check in counter.

"But we get only an hour for shopping" I reminded him.

"We'll stay for less than half the time today" he said and I nodded. We wandered around the aisles, picking up buckets of plum, turquoise and spearmint wall paints with Teflon coating, nails, hammers, wood-glue, a glue gun, a few picture frames, and even placed the order for planks and sheets of specified sizes at the counter.

To be able to do all this in 25 minutes is in itself a miracle. Soon, Spencer and I were waltzing out of the store with handfuls of supplies that would keep us plenty busy.

"Okay, to sum it all up, we've taken plum paints from yours and spearmint green from mine; we have rosewood from yours and black wood from mine; opaque drapes from yours and my carpets; your crazy lighting and my candles and attention to detail; your chairs and cushions, my couch and tables; your shelves and my drawers. Anything else?" Spencer asked me.

"Nope. Wait what about that teak wood separator screen?" I had loved his idea of having a separator screen as the rooms were now going to be huge.

"Not in the budget" he said grudgingly. I sighed. Oh well.

"Let's get to work, partner" he chuckled. While we were shopping, Spencer had told the handymen to get rid of the glass wall between our rooms, so we had the whole vast space to ourselves. We had to start painting so we'd spread paper all over the room. Tubs of paint and brushed were on the floor and we were dressed in smocks. There were three blank walls calling for us.

"Hey Spence, I called the men and they told me that they'd put in the kind of glass and panes we wanted tomorrow at 10 in the morning" I reminded him.

"Good enough. At least the ugly bars are gone" Spencer laughed. The room was bit brighter with the bars removed and the amazing view of NYC was great to work beside. "So we'll paint this wall today" he pointed to the only wall that didn't have a window. That wall was supposed to be turquoise green with a few shelves. This was my side of the room.

Painting turned out be fun, better than I'd expected. Spencer and I talked non-stop. We laughed and teased each other a lot. It was just so easy, so effortless. Like I didn't have to try so hard anymore.

Telling him about my family was hard. A touchy subject. Since I couldn't tell him who I really was, I only gave him the essentials, no names or places. I could sense he wasn't too okay with talking about his family. So we skirted around the edge of that one, just giving the need-to-know stuff, like age, how many people there were in our families, where we went to school and funny childhood memories.

I saw how Spencer went to an expensive private school like me; he had a competitive older brother like I had Dana. Even though I sensed that things weren't good with his family, he still spoke fondly about them in the brief moment that he mentioned them.

I gave me a new perspective about the whole thing with Dana. If Spencer could still love them even though there was controversy, so could I. How could I let some random jerk who liked Dana just for our fame to ruin our lives? I decided that this was done. I had to talk to Dana. If not end the fight, then just talk it out. Mom had never noticed me, even before the whole thing with Dana. So that was something I could never change. At least Dad had been close to me.

Spencer and I talked about our likes, dislikes, tastes and preferences in almost everything possible. By the end of the day, we'd talked so much, I felt like I'd known Spencer for a long time. He was an easy person to be with.

He was obedient, never broke the rules but he was smart enough to find a loop hole to bend rules, he was sensitive, funny, noble and caring. It was like a breath of fresh air to talk to Spencer.

He had a cool new perspective on life that took me by surprise. He went with everything that life threw at him with a smile on his face. He got through everything, being his usual charming self. He never let anything get him down. I sensed that Spencer hadn't had the easiest life, although there were evidences that he was from a well off family.

But Spencer knew how to deal with grief and happiness like they were nothing. He was, in fact the most calming, sensible and diplomatic person that I had ever known. I could tell we were going to be great friends.

As if reading my thoughts, Spencer said, "You know, you're the most competitive, impulsive hothead I know. But you've got this whole 'heart of gold' thing going on. I think you're on a mission or something. Honestly, its scary" he chuckled and dodged a brush I threw at him.

"Hothead? Me?" I chased him and shoved him to the floor.

"See what I mean? This is a visual representation" Spencer held up his hands in surrender.

"Whatever" I rolled my eyes.

"Okay guys, you have 5 minutes to wrap up. Its closing time" Mr. Ross called from down the hallway. I looked at Spencer in surprise. Time had flown by so fast. I was almost sad to leave.

"I know. It feels like we just started, isn't it?" Spencer asked me. I continued staring. How did he know what I was thinking?

"No you weren't saying it aloud. I know you pretty well now. And besides, you're just that easy to read" Spencer smiled. Then he held a finger to his chin in mock contemplation, "Or maybe I'm just too good a reader" he added.

"Don't flatter yourself, Spence" I teased as we turned off the lights and headed for the parking lot. "Knowing you, I'd say that's impossible" I added.

"See you tomorrow. Be here at 9AM. Don't be late" Spencer called from across the lot, getting into his yellow Porsche.

"No, don't YOU be late. I know how you need your beauty sleep" I yelled back, smiling at how natural it was to tease Spencer back.

The next few days went on, just the same way. Full of fun, laughter, witty quips and designing. The things that I loved doing. After a long time, I actually felt like I belonged somewhere. Even if I was lying through my teeth about who I was.

Finally, two days into the work, I decided to take an early day since we had done pretty much all we could for the day. I knew I had to talk to Dana. There was no way I could put it off any further.

As I drove home, I noticed how I couldn't wait to get to work the next day. And it was a feeling that I loved.

**A\ N: I would love your reviews and messages. I would love to make friends and talk. Share any insights without a second thought…I love hearing from you! **


	4. Operation Darrena

**Chapter 3- Operation Darrena**

I knew I had to lure Dana out of the house. I had to tell her everything. But last time I checked, I was still at the top of the list of people whose heads she'd love to bite off.

And Dana biting heads off was enough to make me shudder just at the thought of it. I had had a slightly bad day at work. I was now living alone in the plush and luxurious apartment that my father gave me for my 19th birthday. I was a lot happier after I moved out. I didn't have to live every moment with mom's judgy stares, Dana's insults and dad's deliberate innocence in the whole thing.

So I'd sent Dana this single text.

**Dana, we need to talk. It can't wait. Meet me at the café at the carnival grounds tonight at 7PM- Juliana**

And had spent 10 agonizing minutes chewing on my thumb while I waited for her reply. When I saw the screen light up, I grabbed the phone like it'd caught fire. I stared at the harmless alert **'I New Message From: Dana'. **

Mentally readying myself for a rebuff or snooty comment, I opened the message.

**Okay. Don't be late- Dana**

Wow.

Okay. That worked. But what the hell was I going to say to Dana? That I hated the fact that my family treated my like a bed bug? That I hated that the society saw me as some rich, snobby party girl? That I was now working in the company when it was against the terms of the contract? That I was now living under a false identity?

I can do this; I mentally repeated the simple 4 words for an hour before they'd lost all meaning. I was scared. I mean, Dana never gave me a chance to tell her what happened when it actually happened. What were my chances now?

But she was willing to meet me which was something new. An improvement, I should say.

But there was no easy way to do this. I glanced at me watch; it was nearly 5PM. I had to get ready and get there in plenty of time because Dana didn't like to be kept waiting and I didn't want Dana to be angrier than how mad she would be after she saw me. So the standards were pretty high. I hurried to get dressed, black skinny jeans, a turquoise halter neck and black flats. I teamed that with smoky make up and a chunky purse.

By the time I reached the café, I could see Dana's car pulling into a slot a little farther away. I parked and ran into the café. The carnival was in town and whole area was crowded. This was outside NYC actually.

Tacky lights splashed orange, pink, purple and tangerine lights everywhere in the café. It felt a little weird having to text your own sister to meet in a café after making an appointment. But I saw Dana coming into the café and braced myself. She looked great, I realized jealously.

White cardigan, blue jeans and a dressy shirt and Dana was good to go. It was always competitive at home. The business atmosphere Dana and I were raised in shaped us into being highly competitive.

Dana was expressionless as she walked towards me. I felt a pang of sadness. _She didn't even care. She didn't want me anymore. Dana doesn't love me. She never did. _

The voice in my mind began to chant. But I roughly shut it out. Okay, I guess I knew that she never loved me.

"I'm here. So now what?" Dana asked me impatiently. I swallowed violently.

"Than k you for coming, Ms. Ford" I fought the prickling at the back of my eyelids. Now, I was going to keep it strictly about business. I would tell her with a straight face that I was working at the firm and that I would leave the company as soon as the merger deal was done. Which was in about a year. Then, I would go somewhere far away from her and set up my own world.

"I am so sorry for everything that I've done. I just wanted to say goodbye before I left" I said, feeling like I was being punched in the gut.

"Y-you're leaving?" Dana's façade broke and she looked surprised.

"In a year. I think I'll move to Europe. But right now, this is the last time you'll ever have to see me, Ms. Ford. Isn't that what you wanted? For me to go away from your life? Looks like you won" I smiled darkly.

"What are you talking about, Juliana? Why would I want to never see you again? You're my baby sister" Dana said fiercely.

"Sister? Sorry I must have missed that part" I chuckled

"Juliana" Dana began but I cut her off.

"Well, I guess it's time to go. See you, later Ms. Ford" I paused for a moment and then added cruelly, "Or maybe not".

I waited for her to react but I saw nothing. Not even a sliver emotion! Wow! I didn't know what hurt more: to be stopped or not be stopped. Well, looks like Dana made her decision.

"Goodbye, Ford" I turned to go and stopped dead in my tracks.

All the way across the café, my eyes connected with a very piercing, intense and yet warm and loving pair of eyes that I would recognize anywhere.

"Spencer?" I mouthed. I read his perfect lips from across the room, "Cameron?".

"Juliana? What's wrong?" Dana asked me as I looked at her in panic.

"Okay here it is. I am working at the firm. It's against the rules but I'm doing it under a fake ID. When that boy comes over here you're gonna call me Cameron, okay? I am Cameron Santiago" I commanded as Dana looked bewildered.

"Why are you doing this?" Dana asked as I glanced back to look at Spencer. He was talking urgently to his friend.

"Because the firm is all I have left. I do have to make my own living since you guys kicked me out, you know. The firm is my only family" the words slipped out before I could stop myself.

"We'll deal with this later. Now tell me, which boy?" Dana's watchful eyes scanned the restaurant as I told her, "The one with dark brown hair and the black leather jacket".

I was shocked; Dana may hate me and all, but she would still stick up for me. She still had my back.

"Yum. He's cute, Jules" Dana giggled as I glared at her.

"Cameron" I reminded her acidly. "Who's that next to him? I've never seen him before. He doesn't work with us" I wondered.

Spencer and the older boy began to walk towards us as I felt Dana stiffen next to me.

"I know exactly who he is" she spit out.

The boy's eyes widened when he saw Dana too. Wide with anger.

"Dana Ford" he snarled.

"Darren Grayson" Dana said, her voice full of hatred.

I gasped. Our two families have had venom in our blood for each other. For centuries the mutual relationships between the two business empires can be compared to a nuclear warfare.

And in such a casual setting, the elder son and elder daughter, the heirs to the respective empires meet!

Darren looked good, jeans and a T shirt peeking underneath a semi formal shirt. But Spencer looked fabulous. Fashion was really one of his strong suits. He was a designer after all. Houses and clothes shared the same principle with colors and combos.

I saw Spencer's eyes burning holes into mine demanding an explanation as to why my arms were linked with Dana Ford.

"Hey Spencer! This is my…friend, Dana Ford" I plastered a fake smile on my face. Suppose he figured it out now?!

"Hey Cameron, this is my f-friend, Darren Grayson" he looked nervous. I think he knew about the full fledged war that was about to start between Dana and Darren. They hadn't looked away from each other since they came towards us, glaring so fiercely that I could feel the fire burning.

That wasn't the only fire that I sensed. I slowly backed closer to Spencer who was watching them too.

"Is it just me or do they look like a really cute couple?" I whispered to him.

"It's just you. They're enemies, not a couple" Spencer answered after a moment.

"Don't you just see it?" I demanded.

"See what?" he said confused.

"There are sparks flying all over the place" I said grinning.

"By sparks you mean?" Spencer looked irritated now.

"Oh come on! Fine I'll show you. Just follow my lead okay?" I told him.

"But what.." he began but I cut him off.

"Don't speak" I warned and turned to the 'couple'.

"Listen guys, we don't want to abandon you like this but we kinda have this person we need to meet here tonight. It's about work" I started as they finally broke their staring match to look at us.

"Here? In the café?" Darren asked me cynically.

"No in the carnival. It's about some festive themed thing we're doing. We need to check out some raw material samples too" I lied smoothly.

"Okay I better get going" Dana suggested but I shook my head.

"We have to talk, remember?" my voice was heavy with implications.

"Oh right" Dana was a little preoccupied with looking at Darren that she didn't notice how ridiculous my excuse seemed.

I slid closer to Spencer and gently slipped my hand into his. I entwined our fingers, warning him with a slight squeeze, I left my phone in his hand and pulled my hand back.

"Oops, I forgot my phone at home" I looked apologetically at Dana.

"You know what, we really need to get going" Spencer finally caught on.

"Dana I think you need to stay with Darren. So we can contact you when our meeting is over. Come to carnival okay?" with that Spencer and I were running out the café.

"Seriously? What the hell are you doing?" Spencer demanded when we were out.

"Watch and learn, Spence" and I took his hand and dragged him into the carnival. We went behind the stalls, watching carefully for the 'couple'.

"There I see them" Spencer pointed to a spot surrounded by shops. Darren and Dana were standing, scowling at each other.

We went to shop right behind them and hid under a tarpaulin over some big boxes at the back of the little shop. There was a little peep-hole to look at them and we could even hear what they were saying. Except that we were stuffed into a few boxes.

"Move! I can't see" Spencer grumbled.

"Oh quit your whining, you big baby" I shushed him and continued to watch them. But Spencer wouldn't let me sit still. He kept shifting his position beside me and I couldn't hear what they were speaking. But I noted how they never stopped talking.

"Fine let me decide how we're going to sit" with that Spencer half lifted me and sat me between his legs. He plopped his face onto my shoulder and sighed.

"I can finally see" he grinned. I had to admit this position made a lot more sense and was more comfortable.

"….really? Well Grayson International is a billion times bigger and better" Darren boasted, to which Dana gave him the death glare and ranted about the greatness of the Fords.

"Not something that you actually discuss when you're a 'couple'" Spencer laughed.

"They're not a couple, at least, not yet" I narrowed my eyes thoughtfully.

"Cam, whatever thoughts you're getting in your head, you just need to let go. Breathe deeply and let it go" Spencer held my shoulders like he was calming me down. I swatted his hand away.

"Oh come on, Cameron! There is clearly nothing going on there" Spencer sounded frustrated.

"Really? Guys can be so clueless!" I said, bumping my shoulder into his. "Just look at how they stare at each other longer than absolute courtesy demands. Classic flirting behavior" I licked lips gleefully.

"Man, all girls are the same. I thought you were different, Cameron. But guess not. There's just something about a good romance isn't it? The 'Romeo and Juliet' of it all?" Spencer was definitely angry.

"Spence, you need to open your eyes and see it. So what if their families are sworn enemies? It could end right now" I turned around and looked at him.

"Okay fine I'll help you" he gave in, smiling wryly. "Man, you're turning me into a chick" he grumbled as I laughed and squeezed his hand.

"Operation Darrena, Phase 1" I began to plot our game plan.

"Urgh….he is sooo infuriating" Dana fumed as we headed back to my apartment in my car. She had dropped hers off at a friend's. Dana had agreed to sleep over at my place so we could talk. And for the past 10 minutes she had been talking non-stop about Darren.

"But he's cute right?" I suggested coolly.

"No he is not! But he totally thinks he is" and she prattled on and on about him. I was pleased with the results I had been able to produce in just one night's work. Spence and I had gone to meet them at nearly 9PM. We'd apologized and parted, politely exchanging goodbyes. I thought Darren was actually pretty cool. He was nice to me.

Which was exactly why I had to play cupid with Spencer.

"What about you?" Dana broke into my thoughts, "Do you like that guy Spencer?".

"Oh, yeah. He's a good friend. We hang out a little. We work as partners at the firm" I brushed it off but Dana pressed on.

"Really? Just friends? Thought I saw something in your eyes when you spoke to him" Dana mumbled.

"Darren is nice enough" I commented, biting the insides of my cheeks to hold in a smile when that simple comment set her off and she began to grumble about her 'terrible' evening with Darren Grayson.

"To top it off, he thinks he can act like that and expect that girl to call him" Dana finished.

"So he's a player?" I enquired.

"Total player. Who tells their number to random girls at the café?" said Dana, stretching out on my couch. The couch was a luxurious plum shade. I was particularly proud of the way I had decorated my own home in my own style.

"So what's his number?" I asked casually.

"It's 1670-…" Dana rattled at an alarming speed. Did I ever mention how both Dana and I have photographic memory? I guess it also includes things that we hear or do.

"Okay so let's talk about why exactly you called me to the café" Dana finally dropped the bombshell. I knew this was coming, which is why it played a vital role in our plan.

"I told you. I came to see you one last time before I left. I know I'm staying for another year, but I just thought I should give it a chance. Maybe you'd fell a little differently about me after the year and want me to stay. I was hoping, that's all. But it's okay Dana. I'm done being a Ford" I told her proudly.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Dana seemed much taken aback by all this.

"That's right. I am no longer a Ford. I'm going to get a safe social security number and ID for Cameron Santiago" and strangely enough I was only half kidding. I _wanted_ to be Cameron.

"What? No Juliana! This is wrong! You can't do this" Dana protested, looked frightened.

"Cameron" I automatically corrected her. I didn't even have to try. Dana let out a frustrated sigh.

"Does this have anything to do with Spencer? Is he Spencer Santiago?" she asked me, looking upset.

_Nice mask, Dana_, I almost said. I knew she wasn't really upset for me.

"No I told you, he's just my friend. And he's Spencer Stevenson. Dana, this is who I am. Cameron was never meant to be my middle name. It was meant to be my real name" okay, I was hamming it up a little. But hey, cut me some slack! I had to sell my performance so that Spencer could do his.

"Juliana! That's it, I'm calling Dad" Dana reached for her phone and I just stared at her dismally. There was nothing I could do about this one. So what, Dad would call me and yell at me?

"Go ahead Dana" I answered calmly.

"Y-you're not afraid" Dana guessed. I shook my head.

"The worst thing he could do is kick me out of the house, take away my car and allowance. But then, Dana, I'm working now. I can put a roof over my head myself. And walking to work isn't that bad. So go ahead and do it. It was you guys who kicked me out of the mansion, remember? I lived through it once. I can do it again" my defiance and absolute confidence in everything I just said made Dana toss the phone onto the couch and plop down.

"Sorry Jules" Dana mumbled.

"Cameron" I replied sitting down next to her.

"No, **Jules**. Stop this. You're not Cameron Santiago. You're Juliana Cameron Ford, my sister!" Dana wailed.

"No I am Cameron Santiago, the girl who was pushed away from family and has no real friends who love her for who she is" I told her with such conviction that I knew she believed it.

"Jules, please" I could see tears in her eyes.

"I think you should go to bed now. I have nothing else to say" I told her before retreating to my own room. A few minutes later I heard her go.

It was nearly midnight when I called Spencer.

"Hey Spence…did you do it?" I asked eagerly.

"Oh how nice of you to ask, Cameron. No, I wasn't asleep" he mocked me.

"Shut up, Spence. Just tell me how it went" I was annoyed.

"Okay fine. You were never one for the pleasantries, Cameron" and so he began to narrate what he had to done. His side of the plan.

"Okay, good job, Spence. Great job" I muttered when he finished.

"You're beating yourself up for having to do this to her. You hate having to play the guilt card. I get that, Cameron. But after I went home, I saw how preoccupied my broth-I mean Darren was about Dana and I knew you were right" Spencer said soothingly.

"I know and my s-Dana is upset. But there are sparks. I know there are" I answered nonchalantly. Spencer thought I was playing the guilt card with Dana because she was my friend and that we'd fought and we were reconciling at the café today.

Well, I wasn't really lying. I did fight with Dana and I was reconciling with her at the café. But lying to Spencer felt so wrong. I knew that when I would succeed in destroying the Grayson's shares in the firm and probably bring in some scandal, Spencer and all my co-workers would be thrown into the streets. So I wasn't prepared to tell him just yet. But cheating him like this was surprisingly hard.

Harder than it should be.

I wonder why…


End file.
